Antique Painting with Snowy Landscape

Oil on cardboard depicting a snowy mountain landscape at sunset, with rural houses and fir trees.

Technical information:

Code: QM229
Period: Early 1900s
Origin: Germany
Artist: Josef Kuttner
Technique: Oil on cardboard
Artwork size: 63 × 87 cm (24.8 × 34.3 in)
Framed size: 79 × 103 cm (31.1 × 40.5 in)

Description:

The artwork, executed in oil on cardboard, depicts a snow-covered mountain landscape at sunset. In the foreground, on the right side, several fir trees laden with snow are shown with branches bent under the weight, introducing a vertical element that balances the open view of the surrounding terrain.

At the center of the composition stands a small cluster of rural buildings with steep roofs, entirely covered in snow. Positioned in a valley, the structures appear inhabited, suggested by a faint trail of smoke rising into the evening air. The snow reflects the warm light of the setting sun, rendered through gradations of orange, pink, and violet tones.
In the distance, a succession of mountain ridges unfolds, created through soft layers of color that gradually fade toward the horizon. The sky occupies a broad portion of the scene and features a diffused sunset glow that spreads across the cloud formations.
The painting is enclosed within a wide gilt frame decorated with a pattern of small carved lozenges. The artist’s signature is located in the lower right corner.